


Aftermath

by whaleiumsharkspeare



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s03e18 Once a Handmaiden..., Friendship, Light Angst, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29971953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whaleiumsharkspeare/pseuds/whaleiumsharkspeare
Summary: In the aftermath of the disastrous Goodwill Day festival, the kingdom tries to do their best to keep their spirits high. But some friends need a little cheering up, and that's what Team Awesome is for.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Guess who's back? So sorry to keep you all waiting for a new story. Life's been crazy, as you can imagine. I promise I do have more in the works, so be patient with me as I try to get those out eventually. This one came to me just a few days ago and I managed to jot something down pretty quickly. Hope you enjoy!

It was late, and the whole kingdom of Corona was uneasily getting settled in the Snuggly Duckling. It was quiet as people spoke to each other in hushed tones, still trying to process everything that had happened with the disastrous Goodwill Day celebration. How had everything gone so wrong so fast? Some people had managed to settle down in various spots, some even trying to get some sleep, but there was an air of tension that rang throughout the entire room. Eugene was especially tense. He had just witnessed the love of his life get hurt yet again, and his blood boiled at the thought that Cassandra was still so willing to do that to her. And if that weren’t enough, he felt as though he had let the entire kingdom down by not protecting them the way a newly appointed captain of the guard should. He looked around the room at all the citizens stuck inside. He smiled when he saw Rapunzel sitting at a table with her parents, relieved that she was safe and sound. But his smile faded when he saw how heartbroken Rapunzel looked, with her head hung low and her mother’s hand resting on top of hers in an attempt to comfort her. Cassandra’s repeated betrayals were taking their toll on her, and there was only so much optimism Rapunzel could express.

Eugene sighed and made himself look away from the scene and instead turned to look at all the other people in the room. Despite everything that had happened, it seemed like the Corona citizens who were still awake were trying their best to keep up an optimistic spirit. Monty and Feldspar were talking together in the corner, even occasionally sharing a laugh. Ruddiger was curled up in front of the fireplace, looking cozy as he slept. Lance was sitting down at the piano, playing a quiet but somewhat bouncy tune as Angry and Catalina sat on top of it, leaning against each other as they tried their best to fight off sleep. Eugene wondered how the people of Corona could still have a shred of hope after everything that had gone wrong. He felt like somewhat of a failure for not defending the kingdom better, and for not having the same level of optimism as some of the others. He sighed and wandered over to where Lance was playing. Lance nodded his head in greeting as Eugene approached. He stood in silence for a moment, just leaning against the wall and listening to Lance’s music, but before too long, his emotions had to come out.

“Did I do the right thing, Lance?” he asked. Lance looked up from his playing and turned his head to face Eugene.

“Hmm?”

“Fleeing the kingdom like that. Did I do the right thing? I’m the captain of the guard now. I have to do what’s best for the kingdom. Maybe I should’ve stayed and fought instead of running. Like a coward,” Eugene sighed.

“Eugene, look around,” said Lance. “You managed to get all these people out of the kingdom. You protected them. These people are safe because of you. You made the right call.”

“And that’s good, I’m glad that everyone got out safely,” Eugene agreed. “But maybe I should’ve stayed behind to fight. I’m supposed to defend us, and look what happened.”

“You did everything you could, Eugene,” Lance said sincerely. “You are no less of a captain of the guard for knowing when to fold ‘em and getting out of there. In fact, you’re a better captain of the guard because you didn’t decide to go it alone and abandon your people. Your dad is right, Eugene. You can’t save a kingdom by being trapped inside it. He spent years being stuck inside the Dark Kingdom by himself, and for what? The kingdom still fell. You and the others who used to live there got out, but he stayed behind, and it didn’t do him any good. He wanted you to avoid that same fate. He was trying to help you, and you did the right thing. Don’t blame yourself."

Eugene smiled at him.

“Thanks, Lance.”

Lance smiled back at him in response.

“Anytime, buddy.”

Eugene turned to look at where Edmund was sitting at a table with Quirin, talking to each other and reminiscing after so many years. His smile was still on his face as he looked at his father.

“I guess you’re right, Lance. He does know from experience how you should or should not defend a kingdom.” As he looked at his father talking with Quirin, he suddenly realized that Quirin’s son wasn’t beside him like he usually was. Eugene looked around the room but he didn’t see the little alchemist. He knew Varian had to be there, because Eugene had specifically made sure to run behind him. They’d been the last two out of the kingdom, and he had urged Varian to go first so that Eugene could ensure that everyone made it out. So where was he now? Eugene turned to look at Lance.

“Hey, have you seen Varian anywhere?”

Lance raised his shoulders in a shrug and looked around the room. He paused, and Eugene followed his gaze to the front of the Snuggly Duckling where the door was open. Eugene started to feel a prick of apprehension growing in his heart. What was Varian doing outside? Wasn’t it a bit dangerous to be out there alone after what happened? Eugene turned and made his way towards the open door. Out in the open, the night air nipped at him and he wrapped his arms around himself, but Eugene couldn’t be sure the chill he felt was only from the cold. The light of the full moon cast eerie shadows in the clearing and woods outside the Snuggly Duckling, a dark reminder of what had happened, but it aided Eugene in his search. There, at the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree that overlooked the rock-covered island, was Varian. Eugene breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting the boy. He walked up to him to see what he was doing out there.

Varian could hear Eugene approaching but he didn’t acknowledge him. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree and staring straight out across the water at the island, a tight look on his face. He was fidgeting with something in his hands, and Eugene looked down to see that it was a broken piece of amber from Project Obsidian. Eugene could sense Varian’s tension, and he immediately understood what was going through Varian’s mind. Out here, holding a piece of the amber, and staring at the kingdom overrun with the very rocks he’d once tried to stop, Eugene realized that Varian was blaming himself for what happened. He recognized the same feelings of guilt in himself for having let the kingdom down, and he knew it wasn’t really the case, but it was still hard.

He sat down beside Varian on the ground. Varian didn’t take his eyes off the horizon and he was still fidgeting with the broken amber in his hands. In the still of the night, the two of them watched the moonlight glittering on the twilight blue of the sea, an unusual calm that was disturbed by the island covered in pointy black rocks. Eugene listened to the sound of crickets chirping in the woods and the distant lapping of waves against the rocky shore. The night had an eerie stillness to it, a stark contrast to what had transpired earlier. Eugene cast Varian a glance and let out a breath as he leaned back on his hands.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know,” he said, finally breaking the silence. Varian sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again and glaring at the horizon. Eugene continued on.

“The kingdom would have been in even more danger if you hadn’t-“

Varian suddenly grit his teeth as he threw the piece of amber as hard as he could and stood up, whipping around to face Eugene.

“Look, don’t you get it?” he yelled. “I _screwed up!_ I mean, for two seconds, I thought that maybe I could do something _right!_ But...ugh!” He ran his hands through his hair in a stressed out and upset manner and then balled his hands into fists at his sides. “I just...” he trailed off for a moment, breathing heavily as he started to walk off and lean against a tree facing away from Eugene. “Just forget it. Forget it.” He lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes. Eugene watched after him, frowning. After a beat, he walked over to where Varian was leaning against the tree. He reached a hand out and put it on Varian’s shoulder to turn him around so he could face him.

“Now, you listen to me, Varian,” Eugene began. Varian was reluctantly forced to turn around and he looked up at Eugene, his big blue eyes brimming with tears. “What happened tonight was not your fault,” Eugene continued. “Cassandra’s actions were her own, and you had nothing to do with it. You did your best to defend the kingdom, and that’s all anyone could ask of you is for you to do your best. You have got the makings of greatness in you, and you’ve demonstrated for me on more than one occasion just how brilliant you can be. Cassandra lashing out at everyone was her own doing. Do not hold yourself accountable for it.”

“But Rapunzel was starting to get through to her!” Varian argued. “She wouldn’t have lashed out at us if my stupid invention hadn’t gone off and trapped her in amber! We were _this close_ to getting her back on our side and I had to go and ruin it, just like I ruin everything else.”

“You didn’t ruin it, Varian,” Eugene said sincerely.

“How do you know that?” Varian sighed.

“I told you to hold your fire. Did you?”

Varian paused.

“Yes, of course I did. I didn’t want to hurt Cassandra. I was dreading the idea of actually needing to use Project Obsidian against her. I saw it as a necessary precaution, but it didn’t make me feel good about potentially hurting her. You told me to hold my fire, and I did. I swear I don’t know what happened. I would have never disobeyed an order from you when it came to protecting people. The amber just shot out, and by the time I realized it, it was too late. And then Rapunzel got mad at me and then-“

“Varian, Varian, stop,” Eugene interrupted his nervous rambling. He knelt down to Varian’s height and put a hand on his shoulder. “Rapunzel’s not mad at you. She knows it was just an accident. And I’m not mad at you either. I know it wasn’t your fault. You had good intentions.”

“That’s the thing.” Varian shook his head sadly. “I always have good intentions. I only want to help people, but somehow I always mess up. I tried to help with the amber, the Rooster, and now this, but nothing ever works. Every time I try to do something to help the kingdom, it always just blows up in my face. Literally.”

Eugene frowned as he listened to Varian’s story, feeling his heart break for the little boy that he knew only wanted to do good. Varian continued and his voice got softer.

“I’ve been trying so hard to make up for my mistakes and to prove I’m not the unstable alchemist that everyone thinks I am, but they’re right. No matter what I do, I always just make things worse.”

“Varian, you’ve more than made up for your past mistakes. Nobody thinks you’re a threat anymore. They all just think you’re a brilliant, kinda quirky kid full of potential and lots of great ideas. Do you mess up sometimes? Yeah, sure. But who doesn’t? You’re more than just your mistakes. And if there’s anything I know about you, it’s that no matter how many times you mess up, you always get right back up, dust yourself off, and keep on going. You’re not an unstable alchemist. You’re one of our closest allies. You’re my friend. In fact, you’re my brother,” Eugene praised, giving the boy a smile. Varian looked up at him and gave him a halfhearted smile in return, but it faded as soon as it appeared.

“Thanks, Eugene.” He sighed again. “I just feel like I’m constantly letting the kingdom down. I want to help them, but I’m so afraid of disappointing them or making things worse.”

“You’re not disappointing anyone,” said Eugene. Varian didn’t respond, and there was a beat of silence before Eugene spoke up again.

“You know, I thought I let the kingdom down tonight too.” Varian looked up at him. “I thought I should’ve defended us better as the captain of the guard, and I thought I was being a coward to flee Corona along with everyone else.”

“That wasn’t cowardly,” Varian replied. “Cassandra was way too powerful, and she had Hector and Adira with her too. Way more people would’ve gotten hurt if you hadn’t told us to leave. You didn’t let the kingdom down.”

“And neither did you.”

Varian wrapped his arms around himself as he finally let his tears fall. Eugene stood up to his full height and pulled Varian into a hug, holding him until he finally managed to calm himself down. He sniffed and dragged a hand under his nose, letting out a deep breath as he finally decided to do what Eugene said he did best; getting up, brushing himself off, and moving on. Eugene stepped back but kept an arm around Varian’s shoulders as they started to walk back towards the Snuggly Duckling.

“Come on, let’s get back inside,” said Eugene. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna be needing our alchemist.”

Varian let out a little laugh, finally starting to feel the tension lift off of himself. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, and he could make it right, or keep on trying until it was.

“Thanks, Eugene.”

“Anytime, buddy."

**Author's Note:**

> To my keen-eyed readers with an appreciation for underrated early 2000's Disney classics, yes, that whole Team Awesome pep talk was heavily inspired by a scene from Treasure Planet. I even used the same dialogue and watched that scene over and over again so I could describe Varian's mannerisms just like Jim's in the movie. Jim and Silver give me mad Team Awesome vibes. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!   
> -Whaley


End file.
